The Gewehr 98 is a German bolt action Mauser rifle firing cartridges from a 5 round internal clip-loaded magazine that was the German service rifle from 1898 to 1935, when it was replaced by the Karabiner 98k. It was hence the main rifle of the German infantry during World War I. The Gewehr 98 replaced the earlier Gewehr 1888 rifle as the German service rifle. The Gewehr 98, and especially its action, also directly influenced the design of many other military rifles of the era such as the M1903 Springfield, the M1917 Engield and the Arisaka.
The Gewehr 98 was part of the ceremonial uniform of the Grossdeutschland Division troops who guarded the Führer's Palace. Although very antiquated, the Grossdeutschland soldiers also carried the most recent weapons.
The Mauser, although superceded by the Karabiner 98k, was still the most common rifle found in all sections of the German Armed Forces, seeing action on nearly every front.
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